"Ain't No Love" was very memorable on first watch, but not always in a good way. It is most notable for being the last appearance of Serena Southerlyn (a maligned character for good reason), who never did anything for me as a character and neither did Elisabeth Rohm playing her. It is also notable for having what came over on first watch one of the worst exits of any 'Law and Order' franchise lead character, one that is going leave one cringing in their seats with embarrassment.
My generally quite positive but not loved it feelings for "Ain't No Love" still stand up today for pretty much the same reasons on both good and not so good. Actually thought that much of "Ain't No Love" was great with many note-worthy things, despite a couple of big hiccups, but Southerlyn's character writing and the ending are so bad (and notoriously so within the fandom just to say) that they drag the episode down significantly.
Beginning with the good, the production values are typically slick with the right amount of grit, nothing is too fancy or too gimmicky. Nor is anything too static, drab or garish. The music is not too constant or emotionally manipulative, meanig not over-emphasising the emotion to make one think that's how we should be feeling. The direction is accommodating but also has pulse. The acting on the whole is fine, especially from Sam Waterston and the supporting cast. Jade Yorker's bone chilling performance is one that is difficult to forget.
The writing is intelligent and lean on the whole, apart from one cringe worthy line, and the story when it picks up is absorbing and not too simple or too complicated. It doesn't sugar coat the subject without being heavy handed. The moral dilemmas of the case are handled well.
Southerlyn comes over as inept here though, almost as if the writers also hated Southerlyn and had given up on her, and Elisabeth Rohm's acting has no life to it. Her delivery at the end has absolutely nothing to it, have never heard asking for a reason for a firing being said so flatly.
It is most let down by the abrupt and out of nowhere ending and the single worst line of the show (the thing that Southerlyn is most remembered for by a lot of fans), one that is facepalm worthy. Will admit though that there were hints of her sexuality in previous episodes but there was something about the way the exit was written that felt very indifferent and abrupt.
Overall, great for most of it but let down by the ending primarily. 7/10.
My generally quite positive but not loved it feelings for "Ain't No Love" still stand up today for pretty much the same reasons on both good and not so good. Actually thought that much of "Ain't No Love" was great with many note-worthy things, despite a couple of big hiccups, but Southerlyn's character writing and the ending are so bad (and notoriously so within the fandom just to say) that they drag the episode down significantly.
Beginning with the good, the production values are typically slick with the right amount of grit, nothing is too fancy or too gimmicky. Nor is anything too static, drab or garish. The music is not too constant or emotionally manipulative, meanig not over-emphasising the emotion to make one think that's how we should be feeling. The direction is accommodating but also has pulse. The acting on the whole is fine, especially from Sam Waterston and the supporting cast. Jade Yorker's bone chilling performance is one that is difficult to forget.
The writing is intelligent and lean on the whole, apart from one cringe worthy line, and the story when it picks up is absorbing and not too simple or too complicated. It doesn't sugar coat the subject without being heavy handed. The moral dilemmas of the case are handled well.
Southerlyn comes over as inept here though, almost as if the writers also hated Southerlyn and had given up on her, and Elisabeth Rohm's acting has no life to it. Her delivery at the end has absolutely nothing to it, have never heard asking for a reason for a firing being said so flatly.
It is most let down by the abrupt and out of nowhere ending and the single worst line of the show (the thing that Southerlyn is most remembered for by a lot of fans), one that is facepalm worthy. Will admit though that there were hints of her sexuality in previous episodes but there was something about the way the exit was written that felt very indifferent and abrupt.
Overall, great for most of it but let down by the ending primarily. 7/10.